


Don't Let Go

by thetrashofsomanythings



Category: In the Heights - Miranda
Genre: Drunken Confessions, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-29 11:13:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10852815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thetrashofsomanythings/pseuds/thetrashofsomanythings
Summary: Some cute bensnavi based on part of a song (ten bucks to anyone who guesses correctly)





	Don't Let Go

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nateobite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nateobite/gifts).



Benny felt pretty lonely, sitting at the bar, drinking over the loss of his job. When Usnavi sat down next to him, he cracked a smile and turned to him.

 

“Here’s to getting fired!” he said, raising his shot.

 

Usnavi rolled his eyes, but Benny chuckled.

 

“To killing the mood!” Usnavi retorted. He leaned into Benny playfully, shoving him with his shoulder. Benny looked down at his undrunk shot and smiled softly. It was bittersweet, knowing that Usnavi was here with Vanessa, while Benny was alone, but he knew he should be supportive. Usnavi had been talking about this for weeks, how he was going to finally ask her out.

 

“To finally getting Vanessa!”

 

Usnavi didn’t reply for a moment, just looking down.

 

“You… you know I’m not here with her on a date, right?”

 

“…What?” Benny didn’t know why his heart was beating so fast. He was drunk. Alcohol didn’t often increase his heart rate…

 

“You know how she never noticed all my cheesy flirting and the significance of free coffee every morning?”

 

“Yeah…” Benny’s voice upturned like a question, wondering where he was going with this.

 

“She’s gay, bro.”

 

Benny’s eyes went wide. “Oh.” He wanted to reach out and touch Usnavi’s shoulder to comfort him, but he stopped himself midway and played it off. “That sucks, I’m sorry.”

 

“Nah, it’s cool. ‘Cuz, you know, I realized, so am I.” Usnavi looked up at Benny tentatively, gauging his reaction.

 

Oh.  _ Oh. _ This changed quite a few things. His head was swimming in a way that had nothing to do with the alcohol. “O-Oh. Cool.” Fuck, that response was less than tactful. Way to keep it on the down-low.

 

“Don’t… don’t make a big deal out of it. Tonight, I just want to get drunk and have fun with my best friend.” His smile was sweet and warm, and how could Benny refuse?

 

He knocked back his shot, ordered one more for each of them, and knocked back the second one.

 

Usnavi drank his and made a face that showed he was obviously not used to doing shots. Benny couldn’t help but laugh at the sight, then offered his hand. To his great relief, Usnavi took it.

 

The night blurred by, Benny showing Usnavi some dance moves and then just watching him doing his own awkward dance moves. Benny shook his head like it was embarrassing, but he just couldn’t bring himself to think anything other than enamored thoughts. Usnavi always danced like that. As if no one was watching, as though he was just alone on the dance floor.

 

He spent a lot of the night laughing, spinning Usnavi around and leading him through footwork. Once, Usnavi spun a little too much and landed against Benny’s chest. He ended up laughing, a drunken blush over his cheeks, but the redness in Benny’s face wasn’t from alcohol. He picked Usnavi up and leaned in close to his ear so he could hear him.

 

“I think you’ve had a little too much to drink. Time to go home and get some rest.”

 

Usnavi pouted and tried to get Benny dancing again, but he ended up stumbling over his feet and almost tripping if not for Benny quickly reaching out and catching his arm.

 

Usnavi nodded, a little embarrassed at his own lack of fine motor skills. Now that he was standing still, he could feel the way the room seemed to spin. After a second, his brow furrowed, and he stumbled closer. “I dun feessho good,” the words slurred out of his mouth.

 

Benny nodded sympathetically and led Usnavi out of the club, a hand on his lower back and the other on his arm.

 

When he got Usnavi back to his apartment, he let him fumble with the key for a moment before taking it from him to unlock the door. He shook his head affectionately.

 

“Benny—Benny I’m gonna throw up,” Usnavi admitted, clutching his stomach.

 

Panicking a little, Benny picked Usnavi up and carried him into the bathroom, setting him back down just in time for him to heave over and vomit into the toilet. 

 

“Somebody can’t hold his liquor.” Benny kneeled next to him and rubbed his back gently. He only stood up to fill the cup Usnavi used to rinse when he brushed his teeth with water and hand it to him. “Don’t drink it, just spit.”

 

Usnavi nodded and obeyed, rinsing the taste of bile and alcohol from his mouth and emptying it into the toilet. He turned to look over his shoulder back at Benny with a weak smile.

 

Benny felt sober for a moment.

 

He stepped forward and flushed the toilet, then kneeled again and chuckled a little at Usnavi’s expression. He wiped a remaining bit of vomit from the corner of his mouth with the hand towel, then threw said towel in the sink and pulled Usnavi into his chest.

 

“Stay here with me tonight.” Usnavi’s words still came out with a drunken lilt to them.

 

Benny’s heart stopped. He smiled warmly. “I already told you, you should rest.”

 

He knew in that moment that he would do anything for Usnavi, would follow him until they met the ends of the earth. He loved him. God, he loved him.

 

But Usnavi needed to rest, and Benny needed to step back, not try to show the extent his affection when Usnavi was in this state.

 

He led him to his bed and sat him down, then kneeled to take off his shoes and tug down his pants.

 

Usnavi giggling broke Benny’s focus and he looked up. “I usually ask a guy to take me out to dinner first, but I guess since it’s you…” There was this big grin on his face, and his cheeks were still tinted pink. It made for an adorable sight. Benny shook his head and pushed Usnavi up onto the mattress, pulling the covers up over him.

 

“Thanks, Benny-bear. ‘Mlove you.”

 

Benny held back a gasp. He swallowed and smiled, ruffling Usnavi’s hair and turning to leave. As he did, Usnavi reached out to claw at his shirt, grabbing it loosely.

 

“Don’t go.”

 

“I have to, Navi.”

 

He left a glass of fresh water, a new toothbrush, and two Advil on his nightstand and left, whispering, “I love you too,” from the doorway.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Usnavi woke up to a throbbing headache and sunlight streaming through his window that was far too bright. He groaned and turned his head to the side.

 

Someone had left a cup of water and Advil. Was it Vanessa? Drunk Usnavi? Grateful to whomever it may have been, he sipped the water and took the medicine. He groped around in his sheets for his phone, but didn’t find it. Turning over the side of the bed, thinking it had fallen, he found it plugged in and charging.

 

He rubbed his eyes as he picked it up and texted Vanessa.

 

To Nessa: **what did i do last night?**

 

It took him practically five minutes to type out the one text.

 

From Nessa: **_*shrug*_ **

 

From Nessa: **_idk bro you left to sit at the bar with Benny_ **

 

To Nessa: **thanks, sorry about that**

 

From Nessa: **_np_ **

 

Maybe Benny knew something about what he did that caused him to wake up with such a headache and no memories.

 

To BENNY!: **yo what happned at the club?**

 

Benny started typing for a while, then stopped for a few minutes, then started typing again.

 

From BENNY!: **_are you sure you want to know?_ **

 

To BENNY!: **…yes?**

 

From BENNY!: **_you should._ **

 

From BENNY!: **_1) you came out, 2) we got drunk and danced a bunch, 3) I walked you home because you weren’t feeling well, 4) you threw up and told me you loved me_ **

 

Usnavi froze. He’d let it slip? He’d let everything go? He’d jeopardized everything that he’d worked so hard to keep inside because he was drunk? A panicky feeling rose in his chest, tightening around his windpipe and prickling in his chest.

 

He tried to think of a response, something he could say to play this off, to make it better. He was still staring down at his phone when another text from Benny arrived.

 

From BENNY!: **_do you still feel that way?_ **

 

There was no use lying. He pressed his phone to his face, dreading his own response.

 

To BENNY!: **yes**

 

From BENNY!: **_me too_ **

 

It took a second to process. Usnavi stared at the screen, unbelieving. He scanned the previous texts to see if there was any other meaning within those two words.

 

Two words, and his universe was changed.

 

His heart was  _ pounding _ . 

 

Benny.

 

Benny, whose smile was like the morning sun in the barrio. Whose eyes worked better than a cup of coffee in waking Usnavi up. Benny, whose laughter was contagious, whose jokes were corny but always seemed to bring with them a sense that it didn’t matter that they weren’t good.

 

Benny was perfect.

 

And Benny loved him.

 

He held his arms close to his chest, rolled over and squealed into his pillow. A grin spread over his face and he remembered that he should text back. But what to text? How could he convey how overjoyed he was without coming off as clingy?

 

To BENNY!: **really?**

 

From BENNY!: **_yes. god yes._ **

 

There was no denying it now. Usnavi leapt from his bed and immediately regretted the sharp pain in his head that came from the action.

 

Nonetheless, he pulled on a fresh shirt, swiped deodorant on, tugged on his pants, buckled his belt, pulled on his shoes, and grabbed his hat on his way out the door. He could barely contain himself on the walk to his bodega.

 

When he got there, Benny was standing outside, casually talking to Vanessa at the salon. Usnavi couldn’t help the smile that grew on his face. He broke into a sprint, barreling into Benny with a hug.

 

Benny was caught off guard, though he only stumbled back a bit, quickly bringing his arms up to hug Usnavi back.

 

“Morning, little homie, guess you’re not  _ too _ out of commission today after last night.”

 

Usnavi grinned. “Shush,” he said, not meaning it at all. He pulled Benny down by his collar into a kiss. He didn’t care that Vanessa was watching, he didn’t care that the whole barrio could see if they wanted. Dammit, he was in love, and there was no stopping him.

 

Benny’s strong arms came up to wrap around him and he  _ melted. _ He hummed a little into the kiss before finally pulling back.

 

There was that smile on Benny’s face, bright and warm like always, but with a little extra something in it. Love and relief.

 

Usnavi buried his face in Benny’s chest. “Love you,” he said, muffled into his shirt.

 

“I love you too, little homie.”

  
_ “Awwwwwww!” _


End file.
